Electrical connector



Feb, 24, 1959 s. J. SKONY ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Filed March 11, 1957INVENTOR.

A 7' TOEIVEXG.

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United t r 2,875,426 ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Sigmund J. Skony, Cincinnati,Ohio, assignor to Van Engineering, Hermetic Terminal Division,Cillclflllfitl,

This invention relates to an electrical connector and is-directedparticularly tov a multi-conductor assembly adapted forinterconnectingindividual wires held in gang or cluster assembly with a correspondingnumber of post-like electric terminals.

A rincipal objective of this invention has been to provide. amulti-conductor connector assembly which is small and compact inover-all size but which, nevertheless, provides adequate spacing of oneconductor from another to prevent short-circuiting or electric creepageloss between individual conductors of the assembly.

;A further objective of the invention hasbeen to provide a multipleorgang terminal connector in which the conductorelements may be insertedreadily and then locked in-place upon assembly, or from which theconductors readily may be removed without the use oftoolsflfor,inspection.or'replacement. More specifically in this respect,it is an objective of the present invention to provide ahousing having aplurality of cavities therein,

eachuadapted to receive and support a, conductorand a terminal lip orsocket fastenedtothe end thereof, in conjunction with a slide platewhich is adapted to be engaged over the conductorsand terminal clips andto reside in ,flolcked interconnection with the housing of the pnit soastbconjceal and sustain allot the elements ssemblr. 4 i

A farther objective of the present invention has been toprow e aInultipleor gang connector inwhich each of the individuallelements fassociated with the individual conductor. leads is supported in anindividual cavity which sustains the conductor and connector associatedtherewith against damage from being bent out of shape in nnectorisapplied improperly to the post terminalstowhich it is to be attached.

Ihe connectors of the present invention are adapted tobe usedin a'widevariety of different types of electrical apparatus, such as for makingelectrical connections to post terminals projecting through ahermetically sealed shell enclosing the'refrigerating unit or throughmounting brackets at bulkheads or walls where convenient disconnectionfacilities are required or where continuous electrical conductors cannotreadily be employed. Similarly, gan'gconnectors of the present inventionare adapted for readily supplying electric current to electric motors orother apparatus eqnippedwith fixed terminal posts onto which the gangconnectors may. be plugged;

In such equipment, especially in instances where space is atapremium, itis requisite that the gang connector bea s small in siz e aspossibleyetit is also requisite that adequate spacing be maintained betweentherelectrically condnctive parts to prevent short-circuiting-orcreepage of electric current from one. terminal to another, fljhe latterproblem becomes particularly acute construction ofconnectors which aresmall in size but which are nevertheless required to accommodatedistribution circuit voltages.

In the present construction, each lead wire entering the gang connectorblock carries a terminal which fures Pat-em .5,

2,875,426 Patented F eb..24, 1959 nishes a socket adapted for frictionalengagement with a post; to avoid confusion these terminals hereafter arecalled clip terminals and the block in which they are housed andsupported is called the connector block. Each clip terminalis in theformfof a sheet metal stamping having ashank portionwhich iscrirnpedupon the insulation of. the conductor, an adjacent portion which iscrirnped upon abared portion of the conductor itself, and a socketportion which is adapted for reception of the prong or post to whichconnection is .to be made. The socket portion preferably is of the typedisclosed in Skony U. vS. Patent 2,559,174 of July 3, 1951 and includesa central metal member having wings or ears bent from .opposite sidesthereof toward each other whereby contact with a post inserted into thesocket is insured .at at least three circumferential areas upon thepost. Theears form a'fiexible sleeve of generally triangular or arcuatecontour conforming to the crosssectional contour of a terminal post; theportions at which the ears respectively are bent form the central areaand are yieldable slightly to facilitate frictional engagement of thepost within the socket.

The clipterminals, as shown in the aforesaid patent, form an in lineconnection with the posts, that is, the axis of the leadwiresconnectedto the terminalpieces are longitudinally coextensive with .the post.However, n a rdance ,w thth v r e t nven o t x of the socket, portion ofa clip terminal connected to each lead wire is generally perpendicularto the axis of the lead wire and shank portion of the terminal piece andpreferably is also offset with respect thereto whereby the'axis of thelead wire intersects the socket at a point intermediate its ends. Bythis arrangement the thickness of the c ectorb cs W t n wh t e indi i aclip terminal connectors and lead wires are installed may be reduced toa dimension only slightly greater than the postrreceiving lengthdimension of the socket portion of each clip terminal, yet the leadwires may extend from the connectorblock substantially midwaybetween thefront and backtoftheblock, By the lateral disposition oftthe socketofthe clip with respect to the lead wire axis associated with the clip,the 'lead wires may extend at right angles from the posts to which theclip terminals are attached and thereby reside closely adjacent thesurface of the apparatus from which the posts p je tr The connectorblock is provided with" grooves at its rear face to receive and sustaina slide plate of insulating material which tits over the rearends of theclip terminals andcovers the cavities within which they and theconductor wires are disposed. Inthe preferred. construction, the slideplate is equipped with a tail portion which is yieldable from the planeof the plate to clear an abutment as the plate is moved into the grooveswhereby the plate snaps into locked position assoon as the tail portionof the plate moves inwardly past the abutment. This preventsdisengagement of the slide plate unless its tail portion is lifted over.the abutment. By inserting a fingernail under the tail piece, it may beraised sufiiciently to clear-the abutment and thereby easily may beremoved to permit the individual conductors to be lifted out of the o ks esi ed-V O e feat r s end d m se the present invention appear in thefollowing detailed description of the drawings illnstrating a structuretypically embodying the features of tlrepr ent invention which havebrieflyvbeen s ibe n the. dra i s;

. Figure, 1 is a perspective view showing a gang connecth Pre en inventin lackin at the nn or o which a gang connector is to be attached;

as'meae Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the back side or outerface of the gang connector with a portion of the back plate removed;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 3-3 ofFigure 1;

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 44 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a plan view showing-the sets of cavities which areaccessible from the outer face of the gang connector block when theslide plate is removed;

Figure 6 is a perspective view showing a conductor and associatedterminal clip adapted for assembly with a connector block; and

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure l but showing a gang connectorhaving conductors equipped with terminals adapted to receive wing-typeterminal posts.

The connector block shown in Figure 1 comprises a body 1 molded ofelectrically insulative plastic material. The inner or front face 2 ofthe body is substantially fiat and contains socket apertures 3 whichextend through the body to the back or outer side which is indicatedgenerally at 4 (Figure 5). These apertures receive the socket portions 5of the terminal clips of the type shown in Figure 6, which aresubsequently described in more detail. Adjacent the front face 2 thebody 1 is offset from the plane of the face as at 7.

Apertures 3 are spaced from one another in staggered relationship; thespacing for example may be in the form of a substantially equilateraltriangle if a gang of three wires is to be served, but it will also beunderstood that the block may be constructed to accommodate as few or asmany conductors as are required for a given type of installation. Ifmore than three conductors are to be employed, then the block may bemade wider than the one shown and additional cavities for additionalterminal clips may be positioned in staggered relationship similar tothose disclosed.

For purposes of illustration, the cluster of posts to which theconnector block is adapted to be attached is shown in the drawings inthe form of a metal mounting ring 8 adapted to be suitably fastened to awall or shell of the apparatus to be served, and each of the posts 9 isheld in place in an aperture of the ring by means of ceramic or plasticcomposition which supports the post in sealed, insulated relation to thering and to the other posts. The spacing of the sockets 5 in theconnector block, of course, conforms to the spacing of the posts.

The outer or back face 4 of the connector block includes a marginalflange 10 extending along the sides and across one end, and alsoincludes cavities or openings 11 which respectively cooperate with thesocket cavities 3 to accommodate the terminal clips. In order that themanner in which the cavities cooperate with the terminal clips may beunderstood, the terminal clips themselves will first be described.

Each terminal clip, as seen in Figure 6, is a sheet metal stamping inthe form of a narrow flat strip having a shank portion 12 including anysuitable means associated therewith to facilitate interconnection of theterminal clip to a conductor. In the structure shown, ears 13 and 14extending from the shank are adapted to be clinched respectively aboutthe insulation of a conductor and about a bared portion of the conductorprojecting beyond the insulation. This structure is generally of thetype shown in Schneider U. S. Patent 962,921 of June 28, 1910 and hasbeen found to be quite suitable, although other arrangements may be usedto facilitate the connection of the terminal clip to a wire if desired.

From the shank portion 12 of-the terminal clip a head portion 15preferably is offset in generally parallel relation to the plane of theshank 12 through an offset bend 16 and, in the preferred construction, asocket 18 is formed from one longitudinal edge 17 of the head portion15. This socket comprises a central area 19 which resides at a rightangle to the plane of the head portion 4 15, and wing portions 20, 20extend from opposite sides of the central area 19 adjacent the bend atwhich the central portion joins the head portion 15. Wings 20 are bentreversely toward one another so as to reside over the head portion 15 inspaced relation thereto and they also include compound curvatures 21, 21which, in conjunction with the central area 19, form a tubular-likesocket which is adapted telescopically to receive a post 9.

To facilitate the insertion of a post into the socket, the central area19 may include an outwardly flared, inwardly tapered lip 22 whichprovides an enlargement of the socket mouth. Also, the reverse bends ofthe wing portions 20, 20 forming the socket are slightly yieldablewhereby the socket is dimensioned frictionally to receive a post 9 andform therewith an electrical interconnection at lines extendingrespectively along the central area 19 and each of the curvatures 21, 21which complement the post contour.

Since the wings 20, 20 are bent from the opposite edges of the centralarea 19, which itself is bent laterally from an edge of the head portion15, the longitudinal axis of the socket overlies the head portion 15 andresides generally in alignment with the axis of the shank or of aconductor connected to the shank 12 but is disposed laterally or at aright angle thereto. Through the offset 16 between the shank 12 and thehead portion 15, the axis of the conductor intersects the longitudinalaxis through the socket at a point intermediate its longitudinalextremities.

Head portion 15 extending across one end of the socket serves as anabutment which, engaged by the end of a post inserted into the socket,limits the depth to which the post can be projected into the socket, andthe engagement of the end of the post with the head portion 15 providesan additional point of electrical connection of the post with theterminal clip.

Since the bends of the wings reside on a line extending longitudinallyof the conductor, the socket in over-all width, i. e., transversely ofthe conductor, may be approximately the same as, or less than, the widthfrom one side of the head portion 15 to the other, which width may beapproximately the same as the diameter of the insulation on theconductor. Thus, the terminal clip may be made no wider than thediameter of the conductor insulation.

Cavities 3 in the connector block 1 are preferably of the same contouras the external contour in cross section of the sockets 5 of theterminal clips but are slightly larger, at least at the area adjacentthe wings 20, 20 of the socket to permit such outward, yielding movementof the wings 20, 20 as may be necessary to accommodate insertion of aplug into a socket. Cavities 11 are aligned with sockets 3 andpreferably are arranged generally parallel to one another, although theymay diverge angularly from one another if over-all width is not animportant consideration.

Each cavity 11 is slightly greater in width than the width of the shank12 of the terminal clip so as to readily receive the same and includes ashoulder portion 24 which preferably is on a slope complementing theslope of the offset 16, to form a seat therefor, and an entrance seat 25which is approximately as deep as the thickness of the metal from whichthe terminal clip is made whereby the back side of the head portion 15of the connector clip may reside flush with the surface of the centralarea 26 of the back side of the connector block.

From the shoulder 24 the bottom portion of each cavity 11 isconfigurated to receive and support the structure through which theconductor is attached to the connector clip. For example, forclinch-type terminal clips of the type described, the bottom portion ofthe cavity adjacent the slope 24 includes a bottom surface 28 whichforms a seat for the cars 14 which are crimped about the baredconductor, and a bottom surface 29 which is offset from the surface 28by a shoulder 30 to receive and support the ears 13 which are crimpedaround the insulation of rality is formed in a projecting ponipn 32 of,the tei'minal block, although it will be und'e r'sto'od that the tailconfiguration is employed primarily to conserve molding material andthat, the block, may be; ofwrectangular ontline rather than of'the'Tshape impar ,d bythe tai piece 32 in the structure shown. i

When the terminal clips on the conductors are placed withinthe cavitiesas described, .thein-upper surfaces are substantially fiushwith orresidebelow the surface =26at the back oftheblock, whichsurface,in'turn,is surrounded by the marginal flange 10., -In this relationship theparts are held in place. within the block-by a slide plate 33 having itsedges received in groove means formedin the marginal flange 10. Thegroove may be continuous within the ,fiangeor, as shown, the groovemeans may be delineated by portions 34, 34 whicli project inwardly fromthe sidewise portions of the marginal fiangelfl ov'er the rear face ofthe central area ofthe block in spaced groove-forming relationshipthereto and one or more portions 35 at the head edge of 'the 'blo'ck.Thus, the slide plate 33 niay be introduced between the cars 34, 34extending from the opposite sides of the plate and then pushed forwardlyuntil its end portion rests underneath the ear 35 at the head wherebythe conductors and associated terminal clips are held in place in theblock by the plate. To conserve the amount of molding material which isrequired in the formation of the block and also to facilitate molding,the block may be provided with side recesses 37 which terminate at theunderneath faces of the cars 34, 34.

Slide plate 33 is preferably in the form of a stamping of relativelythin fiberboard or plastic material which is slightly yieldable, atleast at the portion thereof residing rearwardly beyond cars 34, 34. Tolock the plate in place once it is slid into the grooves, the tail piece32 has one or more abutments 38 at its rear end which project above theplane of the rear face 26 of the block. When the forward edge of theplate is introduced beneath the side ears 34, 34, the rear area of theplate will reside over the abutments 38, but the yieldability of theplate will permit it to slide into the groove over these abutments.However, when the plate is slid to its for ward limit under car 35, thetail end of the plate will pass beyond the shoulders of the abutments 38and the plate will then snap into place in a plane over the rear surfaceof the block whereby the abutments 38 will prevent the plate from movingout of the groove. By inserting a fingernail placed underneath the slideplate at the rear end between the side walls of the tail portion formingthe central cavity 11, as is shown in Figure 3, the slide plate may besprung outwardly to clear the abutments 38 and then moved rearwardlyfrom the groove. It will be seen, therefore, that the insertion ofconductors into the connector block and their removal readily isaccomplished without the use of tools and in a simple and convenientmanner.

The shank portions of the terminal clips reside flush with or below theplane of the rear face 26 of the connector block so that no obstructionsappear in the path of the leading edge of the block as it moves into thegroove until the leading edge of the slide plate engages the forwardlyslanted offset portions 16 of the. terminal pieces. When such engagementoccurs, the terminals are pushed downwardly into fully seated positionsin the sockets and the conductors and terminal clips thereon are heldsingly within the terminal block. When the terminal block is pushed ontoa cluster of posts and the ends, of the posts come into engagement withthe head H 6 pa a s of t erm nal c i s 5 the Sockets of the t rminalclips arerestrained'against backward movement by engagement of the flatfaces of thefhead portions thereof with theinside face of the slideplate. When the connector is removed from'the posts, the shank portionsof theterminal clips retain them, in the block.

in some instancesit is desired to insure attachment "of a cluster ofponducfors with a cluster of posts in pre determined order or orientation.For purpose the intefngagins Po t a dr asks 'i e s s d in anunsymmetrical spacing or 'one or niore'of the posts may be providedwithkeys '49 of the type shown in Figure 7. In thisevent, the major aikes ofthe sockets of the terminal clips may be, arranged in longitudinalalignment with the axis of the eonductors as previously described, buttheear portions21, 2 1,. forrning the socket as previously described maybe bent inwardly to engage thewing 40 instead of outwardly to extendaroundthe post whereby thewings whensocketed, will reside facially inengagement with the central areas 19' of the sockets and be held inplacethe friction of the inwardly turned ears, as shown atZldiriFigurej. Thewings 40 thereby provide good electrical mem ntos but'also preventinsertion ,of the roin gs into the sockets in other than the orderpredetermined. I,

In either type" of construction, it will be seen that even though theparts are arr ed compactly with respect to one aiioth er, ample dista eis maintained betweenmfi allic portions or the r espec'tiveterminahclips to prevent creepage loss from one conductor to another.Where size limitations are not important, the sockets of one or more ofthe terminal clips may be disposed so that their major axes extend atright angles to the longitudinal axes of the clip shank or conductorsattached thereto, but in this event their reverse bend portions of thesockets will project beyond the side edges of the clip shank and minimumspacing cannot readily be achieved. In the present construction, ampleinter-conductor spacing may be obtained in a conductor block which isonly approximately of an inch in over-all width in conjunction withwalls at the sides and between the cavities which are sufliciently thickto provide adequate strength in the connector block.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. An electrical plug-on type connector comprising a mounting blockhaving opposed front and back faces, said block having a plurality ofcontact mounting openings extending therethrough, an electrical contactloosely mounted in each contact-mounting opening, said contacts havingopen ends presented to the front face for making plug-on connection witha respective plurality of terminal posts, a slide plate normallyresiding in a closed position overlying the said back face and confiningsaid contacts therein, said block having groove means slidablyengageable by and overlying at least a portion of the edges of saidslide plate, said slide plate having a yieldable portion, and abutmentmeans on said block normally engaging the yieldable portion of the slideplate and locking the same in said closed position, said yieldableportion being yieldable outwardly to a disengaged position relative tothe abutment means for shifting the slide plate to an open positionexposing said open face for inserting said contacts into saidcontactmounting openings.

2. An electrical plug-on type connector comprising a connector blockhaving a body portion and a projecting portion at one end of the bodyportion, said block having opposed front and back faces and a peripheralwall, said block having a plurality of openings extending therethrough,the said back face having a plurality of open cavities extending fromthe said openings and terminating at a wall of the block, an electricalterminal clip element loosely mounted in each of said openings andpresented to the said front face for making a plug-on connection with apost terminal, each terminal clip element having an electrical wireconnected thereto, said wires respectively residing in said opencavities and extending outwardly beyond the wall of the block, aslide'element of the connector block thereby confining said terminal Iclip elements and electrical wires therein, retaining means extendingoutwardly from the back face of the body portion of said block andslidably engaging the edge portions of the slide element, and abutmentmeans projecting outwardly from the end of said projecting portion inthe slide path of the slide element, the slide element being installedupon the block by springing the slide plate and sliding the same overthe abutment means with the edges thereof slidably engaged in saidretaining means, whereby the slide element is free to relax upon passingbeyond the abutment means thereby locking the slide element to theblock.

3. An electrical plug-on type connector comprising a mounting blockhaving opposed front and back faces, said block having a plurality ofsocket-mounting openings extending therethrough, an electrical socketmounted in each socket-mounting opening, said sockets having open endspresented to the front face for making plug-on connection with arespective plurality of terminal posts, a slide plate normally residingin a closed position overlying the said back face and confining saidsockets therein, plate retaining means extending outwardly from the backface of said block and overlying at least a portion of the edges of saidslide plate when said slide plate is in closed position, abutment meansprojecting outwardly from the back face of said block at one end of saidblock and spaced from said retaining means, the slide plate beinginstalled upon the block by springing the slide plate while sliding thesame over the abutment means with the side edges of said plate slidablyengaged in said retaining means, whereby the slide plate is free torelax upon passing beyond the abutment means thereby locking the slideplate to the block.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS962,921 Schneider June 28, 1910 1,194,287 Grant Aug. 8, 1916 1,591,773Nero July 8, 1926 2,133,651 Baker Oct. 18, 1938 2,205,878 Eby June 25,1940 2,435,341 Crumrine Feb. 3, 1948 2,517,593 OBrien et a1. Aug. 8,1950 2,559,174 Skony July 3, 1951 2,563,865 Pottle Aug. 14, 19512,724,813 Leland Nov. 22, 1955 2,728,060 Doeg Dec. 20, 1955 2,804,986Veffers et a1. Sept. 3, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 34,278 Denmark Mar. 16,1925 Notice of Adverse Decision in Interference In Interference N 0.90,908 involving Patent No. 2,875,426, S. J. Skony,

Electrical connector, final judgment adverse to the patentee wasrendered Nov. 27, 1962, as to claim 1.

[Oyficz'al Gazette April 30, 1963.]

Notice of Adverse Decision in Interference In Interference N 0. 90,908involving Patent No. 2, 87 5,426, S. J Skony,

Electrical connector, final judgment adverse to the patentee Wasrendered Nov. 27, 1962, as to claim 1.

[Oyficial Gazette April 30, 1963.]

